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SPEECH TO THE NATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC,
NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO,
SUNDAY 6TH DECEMBER 2020, AT 8PM
Ghanaian colleagues, good evening and, once again, thank you for welcoming me into your homes.
Tomorrow, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., we go to the polls to elect a President and two hundred and seventy-five (275) deputies, to whom we will entrust the management of our affairs for the next four years. This will be the eighth time that we will go through this important activity in the Fourth Republic, and we can safely say that each one has been an improvement over the last.
We have had five (5) Presidents in the history of this 4th Republic, with peaceful transfers of power from one government party to another opposition party on three separate occasions. Redress was sought in the Supreme Court, rather than resorting to protests and street agitation, when there were disputes over the outcome of an election. Tomorrow, we have another opportunity to dig even deeper into these excellent credentials.
I am convinced that we will, if the measure is the successful holding of the special voting exercise last Tuesday. The Electoral Commission has already assured the country that it is ready to carry out another successful process and, to that end, has compiled the most credible voter roll in our history. It is therefore in our collective interest to help ensure that tomorrow runs in an orderly, peaceful and transparent manner. At the end of the day, there should be no doubt about the legitimacy of the elections, and the winning candidate, at the end of the process, should receive the unconditional support of everyone. This is how we can strengthen our democracy and the peace and stability of our nation.
In particular, as a result of the pandemic, we strictly comply with the COVID-19 protocols implemented in the thirty-eighty thousand six hundred twenty-two (38,622) polling stations, so that we can cast our vote on security. Therefore, we must not panic or be afraid. Many countries around the world have held elections during this period, and I have no doubt that Ghana will join those nations in organizing a successful general election, even amid the virus.
We should all remember the words of an ancient philosopher, who said, and I quote “The punishment suffered by wise men who refuse to be part of the government is living under the rule of worse men.” Using your constitutional and God-given rights costs nothing, but staying home can come at a high price. Therefore, I ask all eligible voters to appear in their number, cast their vote, and therefore exercise their sovereign right to take office in the country.
As President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ghana, it is my responsibility to ensure the peace of the nation. Therefore, it is essential that tomorrow’s vote takes place in a climate of peace and security, free from intimidation and violence. The people of Ghana have the right to exercise their civic duties in peace and freedom.
The security services have assured me that they have made adequate preparations to protect the sanctity of the process. They have assured me of their determination to carry out their duties without fear or favor. The misconduct of any citizen, regardless of political color, will not be tolerated, and I am encouraged by the assurance of the Inspector General of Police, as well as the heads of the other security services, that they will be impartial. in your response to problems. That is the only way the rule of law can be defended.
In view of events on the continent and indeed in West Africa, the entire world hopes that we will maintain our status as a beacon of democracy, peace and stability. In this 4th Republic, we have had the longest uninterrupted period of stable constitutional government in our history, banishing the specter of instability that disfigured the first years of our nation’s existence, and the benefits are showing. Together, let us continue to lay the foundation for the evolution of a new Ghanaian civilization, one that will give true meaning to the core values of freedom and justice upon which our nation was conceived by its visionary and forward-thinking founders.
Ghanaian comrades, we can do it. So, let’s stand up and do it, because our destiny calls us.
May God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make it great and strong.
Thank you for your attention, have a good night and vote safely.
